Remember The Name
by Adrian Jade
Summary: Broke, homeless, and starving, Rian Kennedy has nothing but a birth name tarnished by tragedy. She is labeled an outsider and a monster for crimes she did not commit. All she has is a name she will make them remember.
1. Chapter 1

The cool night air rushed against her face. She closed her eyes and savored the feeling, she had spent the past eighteen hours on a stuffy greyhound bus sitting next to a rather large man who sounded like a car's motor when he snored. She raised her arms skywards and stretched her whole body. Finishing the stretching with the cracking of her neck, something she had inherited from her father.

She shouldered her duffle bag and started up the long driveway. As she neared the house where she would be staying the automatic lights illuminated the front of the house. A man stepped onto the porch as her foot touched the first rickety wooden step.

"You must be Rian, it's nice to finally meet you." Bruce Hart smiled at her. He extended his large hand for her to shake.

"It's an honor sir really." Her voice was soft like her father's and maybe a little timid. She fidgeted a little, he took notice of that. Her father used to do the same thing.

She was about five foot six in stature, not as tall as some of the female wrestlers out there but he could sense her inner strength. "You look like him you know." It was true, she had that same crooked smile and piercing blue eyes. He could see the danger that was just behind the surface of those placid blue orbs.

She looked away from him. She knew he had not meant to insult her with the comparison. She knew she looked like the man who was in part responsible for her very life. But his words cut a never healing wound within her.

He noticed her discomfort. "Please come in out of the cold. Are you hungry?"

"Yes." She admitted a little shamefully. She looked at her shoes. Life had not been easy on her as of late. That is why she was here, she was broke with nothing to show for herself. Nothing but a rage that only seemed sated when someone else lay bleeding on a mat beneath her.

"Well my father never turned away a willing student. He fed them and gave them shelter and honed their talent. Now I do the same. Welcome to the dungeon Rian. Let's see if you can survive."

--

She fell hard against the mat. She spit blood from in between her two front teeth. Nattie Neidhart stood above her with a sneer on her face. Nattie or Natalya as they called her in the WWE seemed to have developed an instant distaste for her.

"Come on Scum stand up." Nattie taunted her. She kept gesturing her hands for Rian to stand up. Bruce was watching them from the corner of the ring, he nodded to Rian to stand up. He was measuring her up. Rian spit up some more blood before slowly getting to her feet. She cracked her neck as the rest of her body screamed at her to give up. She locked up with Nattie again. "You do not belong here. You are a disgrace, a charity case."

Rian grit her teeth. She was getting tired of the third generation female mighty quick. She closed her eyes for a moment before running her tongue against her teeth. She could taste her own blood, her father's blood. She broke the lock up and hit Nattie hard in the face. Nattie returned the slap with one of her own. Nattie whipped her against the ropes. Rian hissed in pain as they cut into her bare back. She exhaled to calm to keep her lower lip from quivering. Maybe she shouldn't be doing this, maybe Nattie was right. She did not belong.

Nattie kicked her in the stomach, the wind was knocked out of her body. The blonde Canadian grabbed Rian's hair, pulling the younger woman's face close to her own. "You are nothing but a bastard. You will never amount to anything."

Rian saw red. She punched Nattie in the face and then she did it again and again. Nattie fell backwards onto the mat. Now it was Rian's turn to taunt. "Come on Princess." Rian rolled her shoulders. "Time to make a fool of you in front of your uncle. Too bad your grandfather is dead it would have been nice for him to see me making you my bitch."

Nattie stood but the pounding in her head made her slow. Rian close-lined her with ease. Before Nattie could stop her Rian had her in a sharpshooter. Unlike on TV Rian's intention was to cause pain. Nattie cried out but that only made Rian madder and she increased pressure. "Don't be a fool. Tap out." Rian spat. "There is at least honor in that." Nattie tapped out. But it was at that moment her hatred for Rian grew. Rian released Nattie's legs. Bruce made his way into the ring. He helped his niece up.

"Good fight Nat." He patted her on the back.

"Sleep with one eye open Kennedy this is not over." Nattie limped over to the ropes and carefully got out of the ring.

"Not bad for someone who has had very little training." Bruce appraised her performance. "With time maybe you too will have a contract under Vince McMahon."

"Why not ... it's not like I am attached to my soul or anything." she muttered disrespectfully.

"Rian ..." he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Vince has done a lot for my family."

"I am not questioning your dedication to the man. That does not mean that I have to follow his every word blindly. For what he took from me I can never forgive." She shrugged Bruce's hand off of her shoulder and rolled out of the ring.

"Foolish kid. Stubborn like her old man." He shook his head sadly. "She's gonna end up just like him if she is not careful."


	2. Chapter 2

She had trouble sleeping, at least she did here. No matter how hard she worked or how exhausted she was she just couldn't sleep. Her wild brunette hair was caked to her face. She let out a loud exhale, it was always too hot. Even on the coldest Canadian winter nights it was too hot. She hated the heat, it reminded her of bad times. She threw the covers off of herself and stood. She shivered a little as her bare feet hit the freezing floor boards. Shuffling over to her duffle bag she grabbed her heavy hooded sweatshirt and left her room.

She had been placed in the attic of the Hart house. Her father too had found refuge in the attic when he had come to live with Stu and his family. In order to get to the basement, her intended destination, she needed to descend three flights of rickety old stairs careful not to wake anyone up. She made it to the second floor of the house. She made a quick pit stop in the family room to grab the afghan off the back of the couch.

The "dungeon" was freezing when she got down there. She smiled a small smile of contentment . Rolling into the ring she immediately curled up into a ball and pulled the blanket over her body. She shivered a little but this is what needed to be done to keep the dreams away.

--

Bruce Hart sighed. She was down there again, the girl was going to catch phenomena if she continued sleeping in that freezing basement.

"Harry can you go get Rian." Bruce requested of his nephew who decided to come visit for a few days. "Tell her it is time for breakfast."

"Sure thing Uncle Bruce." Harry stood up from the table. He pushed in his chair and grabbed a waffle from the stack on the plate in front of him and stuck it in his mouth for the walk down to the "dungeon". He earned a glare from his mother. He gave her a sweet smile in return.

Harry took the steps two at a time. Whistling a little tune to himself as he went. He had heard all about the new girl from his cousin. But he never took Nattie for full worth when it came to her talking about the women their uncle trained. The truth was Nattie was jealous and felt that training outsiders, who according to her had no business being in the Hart family home, was beneath her family. No matter that their grandfather had made it his life's work until his death. He loved training young willing minds in the craft.

He approached the ring quietly. Rian was sprawled out on her back with her left arm underneath her head. Her hair fell over her face so he could not get a good look at her. He climbed into the ring carefully not to disturb her. He wanted a better look at her. The way Nattie talked about the young girl, who was only a few months younger than him, like she was horribly disfigured or something.

Gently he moved some of the hair out of her face. She did not stir. She looked so peaceful at the time. He couldn't help but smirk, she was very much not disfigured. She looked a lot like her dad, there was no denying that. But she had a beauty all her own. He got caught up at looking at her.

Her hand shot up grabbing his wrist. She pushed herself upwards using her legs. Before he could react she had him in a sleeper hold.

"Wow ... calm down. I'm Harry my uncle sent me down here to get you." He wheezed. He felt her grip loosen before she reluctantly let go all together.

"Was staring at me like a psycho part of his instructions?" She asked.

"I'm sorry ... it's just ... never mind." He shook his head in shame.

She looked at him quizzically. "What are you doing here? Don't you have some big contract under Vince McMahon?" She said the Chairman of the WWE's name with distaste. Harry picked up on that right away.

"Got a week off so I decided to see this new girl who has seemed to have made Natalie's black-list." He laughed a little.

Rian scowled but said nothing. "So why are you sleeping down here?" Harry asked.

"This is the only place that's cool enough for me to be able to sleep." She admitted. "I don't like the heat."

"You don't like heat?" he asked confused.

"Forget about it. People don't understand and I do not want them too." She bent down to pick up the blanket. She folded it and placed in over her arm.

"You are confusing?" He commented.

"Not the first time I have heard that one." She retorted.

"So you look like him ... your dad I mean." He tried to make conversation.

"Heard that before too. Wouldn't exactly know would I." She remarked bitterly. "You knew the man better than I did. Never met him."

"He was a good man." Harry said. He wasn't sure if he was trying to make her feel better or not but he needed to say it.

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes. "I'm sick of hearing what a good guy he was or what a team player he was. Where was he when my mother had to work three jobs to make sure we had food and somewhere to live? Huh ... or where was he when my mother brought all those assholes home? Where was my protector?" She began to pace. Right now she reminded him of a caged animal, vicious and deadly.

"He was so young when he had you Rian." Harry reasoned. "Not even twenty."

"I don't want to talk about him anymore."

"If you two do not get up here now there will be nothing left." They heard Bruce yell from above them.

"Saved by the uncle." Rian muttered before she stepped out of the ring. Leaving Harry totally and utterly confused.

"So much for first impressions." He waited another moment before following suit.


	3. Chapter 3

Harry laughed at the sight of Rian kicking the shit out of one of those kickboxing dummies. "What did he ever do to you?" He asked tossing her a bottle of water. She gave him an appreciative smile before taking a long swig.

"He tried to steal my purse." She said with a light chuckle, playing along with his earlier joke.

"Ah." He scratched the back of his head. "Well I do not see him trying it again."

"Probably not." She agreed before reaching for her towel. She wiped the sweat off of her face and neck before wrapping the towel around her shoulders.

"So I was going to go for a two mile run and wanted to know if you wanted to come with me." He suggested.

She cocked an eyebrow. "Why?" She asked bluntly.

"Why what?" He was caught off guard by her question.

"Why are you being nice to me?"

"I thought you might want a friend." He remarked quietly.

"You don't think I am some sort of outsider trying to sponge off the Hart money and name?"

"Honestly ... no I do not. I have had my share of users and you do not give me that vibe. I don't think Natalie believes it either. I just think she doesn't know how to relate to you so she's a bitch to you because of it."

"Lucky me." Rian rolled her eyes.

"Give her some time to warm up to you." Harry urged her. "You both are kinda a like when you stop and think about it."

"I'm like her?" Rian scoffed. "I do not think so!"

"Oh yes nothing alike." Harry commented sarcastically.

"Well are we gonna do this or what?" She asked moving away from him towards the stairs. Her foot touched the first step. She turned around to look at him again. "Well come on."

He jogged over to her. She took the stairs two at a time with him right behind her. The fresh air felt amazing to the both of them. Rian easily outran the third generation Hart male.

"And you call yourself an athlete." Rian scoffed.

"I was being nice by making you think you were winning." Harry admitted before speeding up. He passed by her with ease. He turned around and grinned at her. She began sprinting even harder, she knew if she pushed herself too hard she was going to regret it but at that moment she wanted to beat Harry. She needed to beat him, in order to feel like she belonged.

She had a good lead on him when her lungs began to close. Her breathing became raspy, she clutched her throat and tried to calm herself. But it was too late, she had triggered an asthma attack. Harry caught up with her. She was crouching near the ground by this time trying to breathe in and out. He knelt down beside her.

"Rian, what's wrong?" his voice thick with concern.

"A...asth...asthma att...attack." She managed to get out with difficulty.

"Shit." Harry cursed loudly. "Where's your inhaler?"

"At the house." She admitted sheepishly. "But it's ... o...ok. Just ne...need to rel...relax."

With his help Rian stumbled over to a nearby pine. She sat down with her back against a tree trunk and began focusing on breathing constantly and deeply. She closed her eyes and just breathed in deeply and constantly for a long while. Gradually her wheezing stopped and slowly but surely her breathing returned to normal.

"I'm ok now." She finally said. Although her voice still sounded a little strained it was an improvement. "Just needed some quiet time."

"How'd you know how to do that?" Harry asked.

"Sometimes when I was younger my mother wouldn't have enough money to afford my medication so we learned ways to control it." she laughed a little. "I remember being really young and my mother and I would sit in our bathroom with the hot water on in the shower to create steam."

"So you are sure you are alright?" He asked. "No need to br brave now ... do you need to go to the hospital?"

"I'm fine. I swear it was not a full on attack." She assured him. "If it was a full blown attack then I would have not have been able to stop it. But this was just a mini one. Still enough to be annoying but not enough to kill me."

"Just to be on the safe side let's just sit here a little longer." He suggested. She shrugged, it's not like she had anything pressing to do. They sat in silence for about five minutes. Rian was staring straight ahead of her. But her mind was back in California, where she had been born and raised.

"Rian can I ask you a question?" he waited for a response but got nothing in return. "Rian ..."

"Huh?" She shook her head. Her mind left California and returned to the cool Canadian mountain area where they were. "Sorry my mind was somewhere else."

"It's cool. I just wanted to ask you a question."

"Sure shoot."

"Why do you hate Vince McMahon so much?" he asked with eyes filled with confliction. He liked Rian but he was also loyal to his boss.

"I do not hate the man himself." she sighed. "It's hard to explain ... I don't like the lifestyle. I don't like that it takes parents away from their kids for years and years. I mean one day you will want to have kids right?"

"Of course." He confirmed.

"Well do you want to have to miss your kid's first day of school or birthday parties? School field trips ... or just simply snuggling in bed with them on a lazy Saturday morning?"

"I guess I never thought about it that way because I do not have children." He shrugged. "I get where you are coming from though. Your dad was never around for you so you only see the bad but it's not all bad. My father and all my uncles and my grandfather, they all wrestled and this is the world that Natalie and I and my sister and all my cousins grew up in. We all became well adjusted members of society so I cannot condemn life on the road."

"How can you defend a company that kills people? That company is the reason I never got to meet my father. One more month I would have been eighteen, one more month I would have been able to meet him." She turned away from him so he could not see her tears.

"I wish there was something I could do to help." Harry truly wished he could. "I cannot say that I know what you are feeling because I always had my dad in my life but I know what it is like to lose a parent. So if you ever feel like talking about it I am willing to listen."

"I appreciate that. I really do but even after having time to think about it I cannot put into words how much it hurts."

"Well the offer stands. I am always a call or text away."

"You are a good guy Harry Smith. So much better than your bitchy cousin."

"I pride myself on that." She let out a hearty laugh.

Water droplets began falling on them. They both laughed as they started running back towards the house. They were both soaked but laughing as they burst through the front door of the Hart family home.

"Nice of you two to make yourselves know." Nattie snapped as she glared daggers at Rian. "I got a call to help train her and of course I waste my time because she is not here."

"Cool your jets Nattie let her change her clothes and I am sure she will be more than happy to face you."

"Anytime anywhere." Rian cracked her knuckles in an attempt to seem intimidating. It did not seem to affect Nattie any. "Gimme five." She turned and left the cousins in the foyer.

"Harry ... what are you doing?" Nattie sighed as she folded her arms over her chest.

"She looked like she needed a friend and you certainly were not offering your friendship."

"She's not one of us Harry." Nattie hissed.

"Neither is T.J. but we seem to accept him." Harry ran a hand through his short hair in frustration. "All I am saying is lay off her or you will have me to deal with."

"Is that a threat cousin?"

"Not a threat. A promise." The look in his eyes told her he was serious.

"So you are choosing a stranger over your own cousin?"

"I am not choosing anyone Natalie. But if you force me to I just might." Harry walked away from Nattie before he ended up doing or saying something he regretted. Nattie just remained where she was stunned. Harry had been her best friend since they were both little. It hurt that he was choosing some girl over her. Harry had meant well but all he managed to do is make Nattie dislike Rian more.


	4. Chapter 4

"Come on." Harry urged Rian. She crossed her arms over her chest and scowled at the third generation superstar.

"I will not do it." She vehemently shook her head for emphasis. He grinned a little at her stubbornness. He thought it was cute.

"Why not?" He asked.

"I don't like needles." She stated flatly.

"How is it you have made it this far in life without ever getting your ears pierced?"

"I dunno. I guess because we did not have the money for earrings so there was no need to get it done."

"Well you have the money now. You won your first Indy match last night and we need to do something crazy to celebrate it. It's either this or you are getting a tattoo."

Rian cringed. "I'd rather get the earrings." She admitted.

She still was not sure why Harry had dragged her to the local mall. He said he was bored and at least there would be some entertainment at the mall. He dragged her into Claire's and she would never admit it to him she liked that he wanted to hang out with her.

"Hey look at these cool necklaces." She stalled. She was trying to distract him so that he would forget about the earrings.

"These are those best friend things." Harry pointed out. "You ever do that with the kids you grew up with?"

"No, I wasn't a people person." She replied bluntly.

"So what you never had friends?" Harry asked.

"Kinda ... I mean I talked to people but I never had sleepovers or invited them to my non-existent birthday parties." She shrugged at her less than normal childhood.

"What did you do as a kid for fun?"

"I read books and studied in a vain attempt to get into Harvard."

"Wow ... you are really strange."

"Do I really have to do this?" She asked whining a little.

"Yes."

"But why?"

"Because you would look so much cuter with a nice pair of earrings in." She scowled at him for calling her cute. She was not a bunny rabbit or a five-year-old.

"Fine." She huffed as she went over to the counter to let the person working that she wanted earrings. While she was filling out the paperwork Harry remained where he was looking intently at the best friend necklaces. One pair caught his eyes, they were a pair of peace signs with artificial pearls attached to the face of the symbol. One was silver and one was gold. He thought this was the kind of thing Rian would love and as he smirked to himself he quickly and quietly purchased his item while Rian sat stock still with her eyes clamped shut.

"So I think we should have a sleep over tonight." Harry suggested as they sat eating French fries and drinking milkshakes in the food court.

"Isn't that against Bruce's no-boys rule?" Rian asked.

"Well we all know how well that rule works, just look at Nattie and T.J. but I think as long as there is no sex and we camp out in the living room we'll be alright."

"Works for me."

"So have you attempted to get in touch with your two half siblings?" Harry asked.

"I thought about it but then I was like oh well they probably don't even know I exist and maybe it's better that way."

"I think you should get in contact with them." Harry gave her his opinion.

"I'll think about it." She told him. She was not sure if she would but she would think about it again. "So when do you have to go back to traveling with the WWE?"

"Not for a while." Harry tip-toed around the subject. When he had originally showed up at the Hart family home he had said his stay was only for two weeks. He was going on a month.

"Why are you really here?" She asked. "You aren't in trouble are you."

"I got suspended ... Vince does it to everyone. They pick a person at random and suspend them for violation of the wellness policy to make an example to the other wrestlers. It's stupid because everyone knows Vince violates the policy more than anyone else. Do you really think a man his age would really be that ripped without roids? I don't think so."

"Are you on them? You can tell me I swear I won't say anything to anyone else."

"No, I've seen what steroids can do to people in the long run. I want to live a long happy life. I want to do the things that my dad dreamed of doing in his old age but never got to. Steroids had a part in my father's death. Why would I want anything to do with them?"

"I'm sorry I brought it up." She lowered her gaze to her fries.

"I'm sorry too. If I came off too harsh. I guess we both have daddy issues." He gave her a small smile.

"Harry can I ask you a question. I want you to be completely honest with me. Do not tell me what you think I want to hear to spare my feelings."

"Ok." He agreed. "Shoot."

"Did my dad ever mention me?"

"Yes." She looked into his eyes to see if he was lying but she couldn't see any of the normal tell-tale signs that people were lying on him. "He would mention you a lot. Especially to Owen, him and my uncle were very close. Every time your birthday would come around he would always go out and get you something and then he would be devastated when it was sent back to him unopened. He hated that your mother got that protective order against him before you were born. He hated that she wouldn't let him near you. He didn't even know what you looked like. It killed him."

"Do you know what happened between him and my mom?"

"Well from what he told my dad and uncles I guess your mom wanted him to go out and get a real job because she thought he would never make it as a wrestler and when he refused she took the order out. I guess she wanted to hit him where it would hurt the most."

"I never knew any of this." She put her head in her hands. "All this time I thought he didn't want me." She took a few deep breaths to calm herself.

"I'm sorry Rian ... I didn't mean to make you upset." He reached across the table to place a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"It's fine I asked you to tell me what you knew. I'm glad I finally know the truth."

"Maybe we should get going." Harry suggested.

"Yea." She agreed.

--

"Are you guys sure you want to sleep on this uncomfortable floor?" Bruce asked as Harry and Rian set up their bedding on the living room floor.

"We gotta Uncle Bruce. This has to be an authentic sleep over."

"Whatever ... just keep it down." He shook his head as he walked away.

Rian lay on her side facing Harry, who was sprawled out on his back with his hands behind his head. "So what happens now?" Rian asked.

Harry, who had his eyes closed, opened one eye lazily. "What do you wanna do?"

"I dunno." She gave him a goofy smile and a shrug. "Never had a sleep over remember."

"We could listen to music." Harry suggested.

"Didn't Bruce tell us to keep it down?"

"I stopped listening to what Uncle Bruce told me to do after I was able to grow facial hair." Harry grinned wickedly at her.

He stood up and walked over to the entertainment center where Bruce's XM radio was. He flicked through the stations till he found one he liked. Asher Roth's "She Don't Want A Man" was playing. Harry began to dance along to music. All Rian could do was laugh at him.

"Come on don't make me the only one who looks like an idiot." She rolled her eyes as she stood and began dancing with him. "See isn't it a lot more fun dancing too."

"I dunno watching you was pretty epic." She laughed still.

They got through three more songs before Bruce came down to yell at them. They both giggled hysterically like two little kids as they returned to their sleeping area.

"Tell me about your family." Rian urged Harry.

"You have probably read all there is to know online."

"Guilty. I did wiki-stalked your family but it was only because I had no idea who you guys were until Bruce called me and I did not want to move into a house with potential psychos." She admitted. "But it's one thing to read and something entirely different to hear it from someone who is actual family."

Harry sighed. "It's not as glamorous as one would think. Half my family hates the other half. My mom was sued by my Uncle Owen's widow and because of that I think I have seen Oje and Athena like maybe a handful of times since then. Basically we are just one huge screwed up family."

"Yea ... I read about the lawsuit. In risks of being sued I think Martha was in the wrong. Owen was your mother's brother before he was Martha's husband. People grieve in different ways, maybe writing about her brother helped your mom cope. I dunno I just don't think its right for family to sue family."

"What about you? Where's your mom?"

"She ... ugh ... well she died a few days after my nineteenth birthday." Rian admitted.

"Wow, I'm sorry I didn't know."

"Don't worry about it. My mother may have given me life and worked hard to take care of me but this world has not suffered a huge loss from her not being here." There was bitterness to her voice. It made Harry get a shiver up his spine.

"What happened to make you talk about her that way?" Harry probed a little further. There was still so much he did not know about her.

"It's not something I like talking about." She warned him.

"Come on ... it cannot be that bad."

"I said I don't wanna talk about it." She snapped at him.

"Geez fine I'm sorry for asking."

"I'm tired." She turned her back towards him and closed her eyes.

"Goodnight then." He got no response.

--

Harry awoke the next morning to the sound of a shrill scream. When he opened his eyes he saw Natalie standing over Rian with a large white bucket in her hands. Her wore a smug grin on her face. He began to hear angry cuss words and his gaze turned downwards to Rian who was covered with ice water.

"Time for your lesson Maggot." Rian had enough she stood and grabbed Natalie's shirt collar, forcing her back into a wall.

"What the hell is your problem?" Rian demanded.

"You." Natalie spat back.

Rian brought her fist up to punch Natalie in the face but Harry was on his feet and caught her arm before she could follow through. "Go upstairs and get changed out of those wet clothes and Natalie and I will clean up this mess."

"Fine." Harry released her arm and with one last glare in Natalie's direction she stormed off.

"I asked you to be nice to her."

"It's just a little hazing." She justified her actions.

"Hazing gets people hurt. I am only going to ask you once more ... please leave her alone or you will have me to deal with."

"Why do you care about her so much?" His sudden need to defend Rian intrigued her.

"Because she is my friend and I do not like seeing my friends get hurt." He replied. She did not believe him. She opened her mouth to say something else when Rian walked back into the room and she closed it.

"I'm ready." There was still venom in her voice.

--

"Ok Rian so today we are going to work on safely taking a kick to the face. The key is simply getting your hand up in time. Also Nattie is not going to hit you at full force. It will just slightly graze you." Bruce explained.

"Alrighty." Rian jumped around a little to get her blood flowing. "Do your worst."

Natalie kicked her and she successfully blocked the impact. "Very good Rian let's do it again."

Again she was able to block the impact. She began to get a little cocky. "Come on Princess again."

Natalie came at her again but this time Rian was not quick enough and the force of her kick sent Rian flying a few inches backwards.

"Damn it Natalie." Bruce yelled at her.

"I swear I didn't mean to. Rian wasn't ready like she should have been."

Blood poured from her mouth as she sat up. She was a little dazed and felt a little dizzy. "You ok Ri?" Harry asked her.

"Yea just could I please have a wet paper towel or something to get the blood out of my mouth?" She requested.

"Sure thing." Harry ran off to grab the wet towel. He returned two minutes later. Bruce was helping Rian to her feet. She was leaning against the ropes with his help. Her hand was under her mouth trying to catch as much blood as possible so it would not stain the ring cover. "Here." Harry handed her the cloth. She nodded gratefully at him and stuck it into her mouth.

"You ok kid?" Bruce asked.

"Uh huh." Rian removed the now bloody towel.

Natalie was the first one to gasp. Both Harry and Bruce looked a little pale, as if they had seen a ghost. "What?" Rian questioned them.

"Your tooth." Natalie reached for her bag and pulled out a small mirror.

Rian looked but it was not herself she saw in the mirror. It was him.


	5. Chapter 5

"You really have to get that tooth fixed. It really freaks me out." Harry said as he leaned against the counter while Rian made popcorn.

"Yea ... yea." She grumbled as she took the popcorn out of the microwave. Then she perked up. "You ready for Madonna?"

"Why am I watching Glee with you again?" He asked because he had no interest what so ever in the show.

"Because you like hanging out with me." She replied sweetly. "I dunno why but you do."

"I guess." He pretended to think about what she was saying.

"You're a jerk." She stuck out her tongue at him.

Natalie walked into the kitchen. She saw Rian and Harry in the kitchen she made a face and turned around to leave the room.

"Hey Nattie." Harry put an arm around his cousin's shoulder to stop her. "We were just about to watch Glee. Why don't you and TJ watch with us?"

"Umm ... sure why not. Just let me go get TJ." She walked off to go get her boyfriend.

Rian sighed. "Now why did you do that?" She asked shaking her head.

"Do you not want them to watch TV with us?" Harry remarked.

"No she doesn't want me remember." She placed her head in her hands. He walked over to her and pulled on the end of her ponytail affectionately.

"Give her a chance to be nice. She honestly feels bad about knocking your tooth out and that is a really good start." She looked up at him and frowned.

Natalie returned then with TJ. "Hey guys." He waved to them. "Why are we watching Glee?" The question was geared more towards Harry.

Harry gave his friend and tag team partner a smile. "Because the lovely ladies we are hanging out with want us to."

Both girls rolled their eyes. Then as they realized they had a similar reaction they gave each other a dirty look.

"Enough." Harry warned them. He grabbed the popcorn and led everyone into the living room.

Harry kept stealing glances at TJ, who was wincing as if in some serious pain. Natalie kept looking at the boys and every time she did she just got more annoyed.

"Go!" She finally yelled at them. "It's a television show but if it is causing you two that much pain then leave."

The boys did not need to be told twice. With one last warning glance sent in Natalie's direction Harry hurried behind TJ out of the room.

"Who would have thought big bad wrestlers would be afraid of Glee." Rian laughed.

"Tell me about it. Friggin' babies the both of them." Natalie agreed.

Rian did not know what to say next. This was the first normal conversation her and Natalie had ever had. She sat quietly concentrating on the commercial on the screen. Natalie felt the awkwardness too.

"Look ..." She scratched the back of her neck. "I really am sorry about knocking your tooth out. I know I've been a bitch to you but I would never intentionally kick anyone in the face that hard on purpose."

"It's cool" Rian really meant it. "I kinda like it. Makes me feel closer to my dad."

"It really is kinda creepy how much you look like him."

Rian shrugged. "I guess." There was a hesitance to her voice that Natalie caught.

"What? You're holding back something. Tell me."

"Don't take this the wrong way it just kinda bugs me that all of you guys knew him and have fun stories and memories of him and I don't. And now knowing the stuff that I know I'm all confused and frustrated. All my life I thought that my father never wanted me. Obviously I knew that my mother took out a protective order out on him but I never understood why he never tried to fight for me. I just thought that he didn't give a damn because he never fought for me and it just makes me so mad. "

"I wish I knew what to tell you but I have no idea what you are going through." Natalie honestly was at a loss.

"That's why I came here. I wanted to find out about him and why he didn't want me but now I think that it was this huge mistake because now I just feel this empty hole in my chest." She felt foolish when she felt the wetness on her cheeks. Crying was a sign of weakness. "I don't know what I was expecting when I got here. You are right I don't belong here but I have nowhere else to go."

"Rian I was wrong." It was hard for Natalie to admit. "All those cruel things I said to you they were just things a jealous little girl said. The truth was I was afraid that you would be better at this then I am. I worked so hard to be taken seriously as a female wrestler in this family but my uncle welcomes you here with open arms and it pissed me off."

"Natalie I would never want to take anything away from you. I wish you had told me this from the beginning. I was just down on my luck so when Bruce called me I jumped at the chance. I never really wanted to wrestle ... it wasn't something I wanted to be when I was young. But I now know that I am really good at it so why not. Why can't I be like Miss Elizabeth and Chyna and Trish Stratus and Natalya?" Natalie smiled at this.

"Maybe one day you will. Maybe sooner than you think."

"So do you think that maybe you could refrain from dumping buckets of ice water on me?"

Natalie laughed. "I swear no more ice baths."

"Truce?" Rian held out her hand.

"Come here." Natalie pulled her in for a hug.

"Just one thing let's not tell Harry I have a feeling all we would get from him for months is I told ya so."

"Good idea." Natalie agreed.

"So I wonder what the boys are up to. I think we should go find out." Rian stood up and began walking out of the room.

"Hey wait for me. If it's something embarrassing I want to be there to mock them right away." Natalie hurried after her new friend. Now that they knew where each other stood it would be much easier to get along.


End file.
